The present invention relates to construction apparatus, and more specifically a device which can be used to selectively adjust the height and level of a building surface such as a walk, deck or porch during the construction therein.
During the construction of patios, decks, floors and other building surfaces, it is imperative that a level surface or a surface with a gradual, consistent grade be maintained. This is most often accomplished over ground surfaces which are uneven, non-level and difficult to work with. Previous attempts have been made by builders to effectively eliminate this problem, including leveling the uneven surface by hand or with machinery, using wedge shims, spacers and selectively cutting numerous vertical support work pieces until the proper length and resultant grade is obtained. Unfortunately, all of the aforementioned methods are time consuming, generally ineffective and expensive.
One possible solution to the aforementioned problem was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,264 to Buzon (hereinafter the ""264 patent). In the ""264 patent, a leveling device was disclosed which included a tubular stem which was threadingly coupled with a crown member and a foot member. To adjust the elevation of a work surface such as a patio deck, the tubular stem was rotated either counter clockwise into a base member to increase the height of the leveling device, or rotated clockwise to decrease the height of the leveling device. This device allowed portions of the work surface to be raised or lowered quickly and effectively without having to ad shims, move dirt or cut additional lumber or other materials. The devices disclosed and covered in the ""264 patent have a specific limited range of height since differing units can only be raised within a range of approximately 3 inches. Thus, the device is very limited in use and one unit cannot be used in the majority of situations where a custom fit piece was required to level a building surface. Further, no type of non-skid shim plates were provided in the ""264 patent to prevent shifting of the building surface resting on the adjustable leveling device. Additionally, no attachable shims or couplings are provided to quickly modify the total height of the adjustable leveling device or bring the support element into a more vertical position. Thus, the use of shims and other make-shift work pieces are often required in combination with the leveling apparatus which is both time consuming and quite ineffective.
Thus, there is a strong need in the construction trades and industry in general for a leveling device which is simplistic to use, is stable, can be modified on site with common hand tools, and which can be expandable with a variety of accessory components to provide a wide range of selectively adjustable lengths.
It is thus one object of the present invention to provide an adjustable leveling apparatus which can be modified quickly and easily with a portable hand saw to accommodate a variety of different lengths to support a deck porch floors or mechanical equipment (such as pumps) or other similar building surfaces. The leveling device can be used independently, or more commonly with a plurality of other adjustable support devices to create a level surface or a surface with a slight grade for drainage purposes.
It is another object of the present invention that the leveling device be selectively expandable to a much greater length by the use of a coupling mechanism which allows the interconnection of at least two distinct lengths of tubular stem material. Additionally, in another aspect of the present invention the tubular stem is integrally interconnected to a base member. In this configuration the total length of the adjustable support piece is significantly reduced and can be used in situations where the vertical clearance between an upper building surface and a lower surface is less than about three inches.
In another aspect of the present invention, a base member is provided which supports the tubular stem and crown member, and which has a greatly increased and widened base surface to provide stability. Further, the base member may have a plurality of drainage weep holes to allow water to drain through the substrate to avoid freezing and potential breakage. Further, a plurality of attachment apertures may be provided to receive nails, screws and other attachment hardware to allow the base member to be interconnected to a lower building surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a crown member which is screwed onto the tubular stem member and which can be raised or lowered to selectively adjust the total height of the leveling apparatus. The top of the crown member preferably includes a plurality of alignment tabs which are used to align the construction materials such as a wood deck panel, a patio paver, cement block or framing joist. Alternatively, one or more of the tabs can be quickly removed to provide a flat support surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a removable crown coupling member which matingly engages the upper planar surface of the crown member to provide slightly more length to the adjustable support piece. Preferably, the crown coupling member has a plurality of vertically extending alignment tabs which are used to align the building surface. Further, a non-skid pad may be provided which fits on either the upper planar surface of the crown coupling member. The non-skid pad is preferably made of a rubber, and has a sufficient coefficient of friction to prevent the deck panels or stone pavers or other common materials from shifting on the adjustable support piece after installation.
Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, a method for selectively adjusting a height of a building surface is provided, comprising the steps of:
determining the approximate height requirement of the building surface;
cutting a threaded first tubular stem to accommodate said approximate height requirement;
screwing a base member to a first end of said first threaded tubular stem and a crown member to a second end of said first threaded tubular stem to form an adjustable support piece;
positioning said adjustable support piece in a substantially perpendicular relationship between a first horizontal surface and a second horizontal surface which defines at least a portion of the building surface; and
adjusting a total length of said adjustable support piece to an optimum desired height, wherein the building surface can be leveled or provided a predetermined grade.